Being wrong happens to all of us, especially as we work towards excellence in education. But are we always willing to hear “the truth”? Can we handle the truth? Perhaps we’re lucky to have people around us willing to tell us the truth. As educators, we must be skilled at giving and receiving feedback—even when it's hard. It’s how we get better, and how we can do better for our students, for each other, and for our organizations.
When we make progress and get better at something,
it is inherently motivating. In order for people to make progress,
they have to get feedback and information on how they're doing.
— Daniel H. Pink
I’m reminded of one of my favorite scenes featuring Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise, in “A Few Good Men”.
“You want answers?” “I think I'm entitled to them.”
“You want answers?” “I want the truth.”
“You can't handle the truth!”
That's true about so many of us—we struggle handling frank feedback from others. Only a few good men (and more women) have developed those maturity muscles that appreciate the advantage during those critical moments of critical commentary.
Most people hate changing their minds, but I like to change my mind.
It means I’ve learned something.
— Daniel Kahneman
Is it possible that we're actually lucky to have so many people around us who are willing to tell us we're wrong/flawed in our behavior, assumptions, or methods?
Educators have to be skilled at giving and receiving feedback—even when it's hard.
The perspective of others gives us the privilege of learning and changing our minds.
That's the power of reconsideration. Once we choose to openly listen to feedback, then we steadily become less defensive, more receptive, and gain greater expertise.
Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.
— Proverbs 19:20
Logically we can justify avoiding the haters, but it fails as a growth strategy because we make ourselves deaf to feedback, overconfident in our abilities, and stuck in less.
Less of what we could be. Less of what we could learn. Less of what we could do.
Making the grade as an educator requires having the humility to value feedback in a sincere effort to grow because our impact is directly correlated to our self-correction.
It takes practice and even prayer, but heeding advice is on the pathway to wisdom.
When you successfully, and purposely, ‘feed off the feedback’ you’ll grow in heart, mind, and soul.
